Classic rock never truly dies – it mutates, resurfaces, and finds new voices in unexpected places.
Across the decades, the sounds of Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Hendrix and the Stones have left indelible fingerprints on rock’s DNA, and a new generation of bands has been picking up the mantle. Some are overt homages, others subtle echoes, but all capture the essence of their predecessors’ musical personality: swagger, virtuosity, drama, and unrestrained energy.
From Greta Van Fleet channelling Zeppelin’s raw, high-octane riffs, to The Darkness reviving Queen’s theatrical grandeur, and Porcupine Tree conjuring Pink Floyd’s atmospheric tension, these modern acts demonstrate that classic rock’s spirit is not frozen in time. In this feature, we explore 15 iconic bands from rock’s golden era and the contemporary groups who seem to embody their sound, showing how the past continues to resonate and reinvent itself in thrilling, unexpected ways.
1. Led Zeppelin reborn as Greta Van Fleet
Greta Van Fleet have taken the Led Zeppelin template and modernized it for a new generation. From Josh Kiszka’s Plant-like wail to Jake Kiszka’s bluesy, virtuosic guitar, their songs echo Zeppelin’s riffs, dynamics, and dramatic shifts. Tracks like 'Safari Song' and 'Highway Tune' channel the raw energy and epic build of classic ’70s hard rock, blending vintage swagger with contemporary production. They are unmistakably derivative, yet thrillingly alive.
2. Deep Purple reborn as Rival Sons
Rival Sons draw on Deep Purple’s muscular hard rock and organ-infused swagger, revitalizing the power-trio energy of the ’70s. Scott Holiday’s bluesy guitar riffs and the band’s tight, dynamic arrangements echo the driving force of tracks like 'Smoke on the Water', while Jay Buchanan’s commanding vocals channel classic rock intensity. The band bridges vintage riff-driven rock with modern grit, making each song a fiery testament to Deep Purple’s enduring influence.
3. The Rolling Stones reborn as The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are practically the Rolling Stones’ spiritual heirs. From Chris Robinson’s gritty, Mick Jagger-esque vocals to the band’s blues-soaked riffs, swaggering grooves, and loose-but-tight rhythm section, their music exudes the same restless, soulful energy.
Albums like Shake Your Money Maker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion revel in Stones-style storytelling, raunchy riffs, and barroom blues aesthetics. They channel that mid-’70s Stones tension between raw rock immediacy and subtle groove, updating it with Southern rock grit while keeping the Stones’ mix of danger, charm, and unpolished sophistication very much alive.
4. The Beatles reborn as Oasis
Oasis were the ultimate ’90s inheritors of the Beatles’ melodic genius. From Liam Gallagher’s sneering vocals to Noel’s anthemic songwriting, the band channelled everything from the Beatles’ swaggering rockers to their tender ballads. Tracks like 'Live Forever' and 'Wonderwall' feel like Lennon/McCartney compositions reborn for the ’90s, marrying classic pop structures with Britpop attitude.
Even the studio experimentation on Be Here Now hints at Sgt. Pepper’s ambitious layering. Oasis pile on overdubs, orchestration, reversed tape loops, and walls of guitars in a way that clearly aims for the same sense of psychedelic grandeur The Beatles achieved in 1967.
5. The Beach Boys reborn as The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo revived Brian Wilson’s sunny, orchestral pop with jangly guitars and tight vocal harmonies. Their psychedelic yet accessible approach on albums like Fun Trick Noisemaker recalls Pet Sounds’ lush textures, layered instrumentation, and playful experimentation. They merged retro ’60s sensibilities with indie-rock energy, showing that the Beach Boys’ influence could still feel fresh two decades later.
6. The Byrds reborn as The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads drew on The Byrds not through imitation, but through sensibility. Evan Dando prized melody, lightness, and emotional clarity – qualities that The Byrds perfected with chiming guitars and unforced, sun-bleached harmony. On It’s a Shame About Ray, the guitars don’t roar so much as glisten, creating a weightless shimmer that recalls McGuinn’s 12-string sparkle.
Dando’s vocals, too, have that easy, conversational glide: intimate, half-smiling, and never overplayed. Even when the lyrics are bruised, the music feels breezy, like heartbreak drifting past on a warm afternoon. This is where the Byrdsian influence is clearest – an emotional tone where sadness is gentle rather than dramatic.
Other ’90s bands tapped into similar lineage. R.E.M. took The Byrds' jangling architecture into indie-rock maturity. Teenage Fanclub blended it with Big Star’s soft glow. And The Jayhawks channelled the Sweetheart of the Rodeo country-Byrds, turning jangle into open-sky Americana. Then there were hippy revivalists Kula Shaker, whose jangly guitars, psychedelic swirl, and mystical, raga-tinged melodies echo The Byrds’ folk-rock and eastern experiments: songs like 'Tattva' and 'Govinda' combined 12-string chiming guitars and spiritual lyricism in a way that directly recalled The Byrds’ Eight Miles High era.
7. The Velvet Underground reborn as Spiritualized
Spiritualized’s hypnotic, drone-heavy sound owes a debt to The Velvet Underground’s experimental minimalism. Early albums like Lazer Guided Melodies layer sparse instrumentation, spacey feedback, and trance-inducing repetition reminiscent of VU’s quieter, avant-garde moments. Jason Pierce channels Lou Reed’s emotional detachment while pushing the music into lush, atmospheric territory, making the Velvet Underground’s influence subtle but unmistakable.
8. Queen reborn as The Darkness
The Darkness channels Queen’s flamboyant, larger-than-life arena rock with unapologetic theatricality. Justin Hawkins’ soaring, operatic vocals recall Freddie Mercury’s bravura, while the band’s guitar riffs and intricate harmonies echo Brian May’s signature sound. Songs like 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love' showcase their cheeky, over-the-top style, blending virtuosic musicianship with tongue-in-cheek humour. The Darkness embraces Queen’s sense of spectacle and melodrama, updating it for a 21st-century audience while keeping the bombastic energy, harmonic richness, and playful grandeur that made Queen legendary.
9. Small Faces reborn as Ocean Colour Scene
The music of Birmingham-based '90s indie rockers Ocean Colour Scene bears a clear imprint of The Small Faces – and not just in tone, but in attitude too. Like Steve Marriott’s crew, OCS balance earthy soulfulness with sharp-edged mod swagger, blending rock, rhythm & blues, and a distinctly English melodic sensibility.
Steve Cradock’s guitar work often echoes Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane’s mix of punchy riffs and chiming, pastoral brightness, while Simon Fowler’s vocals carry that same blend of grit and yearning. Their arrangements frequently nod to late ’60s psychedelic-pop flourishes – warm Hammond organ, acoustic strum, and a touch of swaggering swing. This is music rooted in terraces, pubs, and golden-hour city streets: working-class uplift with a wistful edge.
10. Jimi Hendrix reborn as Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz’s relationship with Jimi Hendrix is more than homage – it’s a deliberate, immersive channelling of Hendrix’s sonic and performative ethos. From his guitar tone to phrasing, his use of wah-wah, fuzz, and sustain mirrors Hendrix’s exploratory palette, while his rhythmic sensibility fuses rock, funk, and soul in the way Hendrix first synthesized on Axis: Bold as Love or Electric Ladyland.
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On tracks like 'Are You Gonna Go My Way', the solos, tremolo-picked runs, and psychedelic flourishes evoke late-’60s experimentation, yet remain unmistakably Kravitz’s own. Beyond the notes, his stagecraft – the swagger, showmanship, and theatrical posturing – recalls Hendrix’s bravura, making each performance a dialogue with that lineage.
Even in modern studio production, Kravitz preserves an analogue warmth and rawness that suggests tape-saturated 1968 sessions. He doesn’t just reference Hendrix; he inhabits his language, translating it for contemporary rock while retaining the virtuosic, playful audacity that made Hendrix revolutionary.
11. The Doors reborn as The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols’ organ-driven psych-rock and detached, smoky vocals recall Jim Morrison’s charisma and The Doors’ darker corners. Songs like 'Bohemian Like You' or 'We Used to Be Friends' mix psychedelia, swagger, and an air of lounge decadence, reminiscent of The Doors’ 1967-69 period. Their sound pays homage – while maintaining indie-rock sensibilities.
12. Thin Lizzy reborn as Wolfmother
Wolfmother channel Thin Lizzy’s dual-guitar attack and hard-rock swagger, updating it with modern production and heavier riffs. Andrew Stockdale’s soaring vocals echo Phil Lynott’s dramatic delivery, while songs like 'Joker and the Thief' showcase harmonized leads, galloping rhythms, and blues-inflected hooks reminiscent of Lizzy classics like 'The Boys Are Back in Town'. Wolfmother capture the raw energy and melodic inventiveness of ’70s hard rock, fusing Thin Lizzy’s twin-guitar elegance with contemporary power, making their sound both nostalgic and urgently alive.
13. The Left Banke reborn as The High Llamas
The High Llamas’ work is a masterclass in translating mid-’60s baroque pop into a modern context. Their lush orchestrations, intricate layering, and carefully sculpted harmonies owe a clear debt to The Left Banke’s pioneering approach on tracks like 'Walk Away Renee' and 'Pretty Ballerina'. On albums such as Hawaii, the band weaves harpsichord, strings, vibraphone, and subtle psychedelic textures into compositions that feel simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking.
Sean O’Hagan’s meticulous arrangements capture the harmonic ambition of baroque pop while imbuing it with a gentle, reflective ’90s indie sensibility. The melodies are elegant but never precious; the textures are dense yet airy, creating a dreamlike, pastoral soundscape. There’s a cinematic quality to the songs, as if each track exists in a carefully lit, sun-dappled world.
14. The Animals reborn as The Charlatans
The Charlatans’ bluesy rock riffs and Hammond-driven grooves recall The Animals’ gritty 1960s style. Early hits like 'The Only One I Know' merge soulful vocals with organ flourishes, creating a bridge between British Invasion-era rhythm and blues and ’90s Madchester sensibilities. Their raw energy and melodic sensibility mirror Eric Burdon’s influence while keeping the sound rooted in contemporary indie rock.
15. Pink Floyd reborn as Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree channel Pink Floyd’s atmospheric expansiveness, but with a darker, more modern twist. Steven Wilson’s intricate production, layered textures, and emotive guitar work echo Floyd’s sonic landscapes, while albums like Fear of a Blank Planet explore contemporary anxieties in the way Animals or The Wall examined societal tensions. The band balances ambient passages with progressive rock intricacy, creating meditative, immersive journeys that pay homage to Floyd’s artistry while asserting a distinctly 21st-century voice.
And one for luck... The Zombies reborn as The Olivia Tremor Control
Dreamy harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and psychedelic flourishes make The Olivia Tremor Control sound like a modern incarnation of Odessey and Oracle. Tracks like 'The Opera House' layer vocal counterpoint, swirling guitars, and experimental effects, echoing The Zombies’ baroque pop precision and wistful melodic charm. The ’90s band channels the intricate, ornate sensibility of the late ’60s while adding their own lo-fi, indie sensibility.
All pics Getty Images
